Blonde Blazer (Dispatch) Had So Much Untapped Potential
Dispatch has a cast of flawed and loveable characters, each with their own unique personalities and arcs. But one character stood out to me as feeling underdeveloped, underused, and bland at times: Blonde Blazer / Mandy.
I should start by mentioning I actually like Blazer quite a bit. As the kind-hearted mentor/superhero archetype, she mostly succeeds. She’s charismatic, comforting, and immediately likable in her interactions with Robert early on.
But characters built around warmth and stability usually need deeper internal conflicts to stand out in a cast full of louder, messier personalities. And the interesting part is the game actually does imply some depth to her, like in her comment about “Not being drunk enough to share her origin yet”, which got players like me interested to see how AdHoc Studios would expand on her character later in the game.
The biggest issue is how there was a glimmer of potential in scenes from the earlier episodes, but the writers didn’t expand on any of it for the rest of the story. One such example is with the dinner date at the end of Episode 4, which you get if you choose to pursue Blazer as a romantic interest. In that scene, it’s revealed that Blazer actually gets her powers from a magic amulet. Her true appearance is not that of a statuesque blonde-haired superhero—but instead a slightly shorter, average-built brunette woman.
I’ve seen some complain that the change not being super dramatic weakens the scene. But I’d actually argue that subversion is what makes the moment hit harder. She mentions how the standards people have for her make her feel insecure about the appearance change, which to me is rich with narrative potential. The comics even show how she wants to eventually settle down/retire as Mandy, not Blonde Blazer.
The concept of a superhero who is desperate for a normal life but feels restrained by their heroic identity and the expectations of society is incredibly compelling to me. Especially in a setting where heroes are often treated as public brands. Her role as a civilian with no powers balancing being a hero with a reputation also serves as a nice parallel to Robert. But as I mentioned, the game does nothing further with this!
In comparison, Invisigal ultimately feels more complete as a character because the game fully commits to exploring her flaws, history, and emotional growth in a way it never quite does with Mandy. And unlike Mandy, Visi gets significant character development and depth regardless if you romance her or not.
There’s nothing wrong with having a character who remains mostly the same from beginning to end. Quite a few examples of this have worked well in fiction (Paddington Bear, Sherlock Holmes, etc.). But if the story is going to introduce a flicker of depth or an arc for a character, they need to develop it further. Otherwise, it leaves them feeling hollow and incomplete—like in Blazer’s case.
Since Dispatch at its core is a redemption story focused on complex and messy heroes, it has to dedicate more time and focus on Robert, Invisigal and the Z-Team at large. So while I can’t fault the writers too much for not fitting more focus in for Blazer, she just doesn’t compare.
I’m really hoping AdHoc Studios give Blazer / Mandy the focus she deserves in Season 2. She has so much potential to be a fantastic character—just a few small additions and an increased role in the plot could make all the difference!